In a ghastly road accident in Kadapa district, eight labourers, including three women, were killed and seven others sustained severe injuries when an iron ore-laden truck collided with a autorickshaw near Varadayapalle village in Mydukur mandal on Saturday.
Two of the deceased belonged to Jandlavaram and Thuvvapalle, three hailed from Pagadipalle in Mydukur mandal and one from Mydukur. Efforts were on to identify the dead, police said.
The injured workers were rushed to Proddatur Government hospital. Anguished over the fatalities, the autorickshaw driver who suffered fracture of his hand, created a flutter by attempting suicide by consuming pesticide outside Proddatur Government hospital.
Irate villagers broke the windshields of five trucks including the one involved in the mishap. Traffic was suspended on Badvel-Mydukur road owing to the villagers' protest. Police officials rushed to the place of accident, pacified the protesters and cleared the traffic.
